MURRAY, KY (3/19/12) – The Murray State baseball team used a five-run rally in the top of the eighth inning to take its first lead of the game, but it was Southern Miss that had the answer as they responded with three runs in the home-half of the inning to hand the Breds a 9-7 defeat Saturday afternoon at Pete Taylor Park.

The Golden Eagles (12-8) got on the board quickly as Blake Brown singled with two outs and scored on a Mason Robbins triple to left center. Ryan Ellis plated the second run with a single to right field.

Robbins added to the lead in the third inning as he led off with an opposite-field home run to left center.

USM stretched the lead in the fourth as Austin Roussel singled to short and went to second on a groundout. Connor Barron followed with a run-scoring single to left center.

The Breds (9-10) got on the board in the sixth as Mike Kozlowski reached second on a fielding error before Jacob Rhodes was hit by a pitch. Cody Larson drove in both runners with a double down the left-field line.

The Golden Eagles got a run back in the home-half of the inning as Ryan Ellis reached on a leadoff double, and came around to score on an error on a sacrifice bunt. USM stretched its lead to 6-2 as they got a sacrifice fly to left field off the bat of Ashley Graeter.

MSU took its first lead of the game in eighth inning as three-straight singles from Kozlowski, Rhodes and Larson loaded the bases with no outs. Dylan Wheeler plated a run with a fielder’s choice. Brandon Eggenschwiler followed by drawing a pinch-hit walk with the bases loaded. Ty Stetson later walked with the bases loaded to tie the game before Travis Isaak delivered a sacrifice fly to center field.

The lead did not last long as the Golden Eagles quickly put two runners on with back-to-back walks. A sacrifice bunt turned into two runs as the pitcher threw the ball down the right field line, allowing both runners to score and the batter to advance to third. Michael Sterling pushed the lead to 9-7 with a sacrifice fly to left field.

Luke Shuemaker (0-1) took the loss after allowing three unearned runs on one hit and two walks in his one inning of work. Cody Livingston (1-0) picked up the victory after allowing just one hit and striking out two over 1.1 innings.

Larson led the offense with a pair of hits and two RBIs, while Kozlowski added two hits.

The two teams close out the three-game series tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.